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The August issue features eight starred DVD and audio reviews, from the animated DVD version of Keith Baker’s incredibly inventive occupation-based alphabet book, LMNO Peas, to the audiobook edition of Holly Black’s Doll Bones, a tale of friendship and the trials of growing up set against the backdrop of a spooky ghost story, to Deep Sea Diver, an ocean-themed album of songs for kids performed by Recess Monkey. Be sure to check out all the starred reviews and visit Book Verdict for all the reviews in this month’s issue.

On Wednesday, July 11 through Sunday, July 15, while attending the Comic-Con International 2012 in San Diego, I ran around to as many of my favorite kids comics creators as I could and asked them all the exact same questions. Keep in mind, comic book conventions are crazy loud and crazy busy, so there is [...]

Fusenews Fusenews Fusey Oozy Fusenews Fusenews Fusenews Eat it up . . . . YUM!* Oh we are high spirits here in New York now that the weather has cooled down a tad.  So let’s keep the party going strong.  It’s news time! Undoubtedly many of you encountered the recent New York Times article “I’m [...]

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr. Little, Brown. 2013. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: Eight months ago, Lucy Beck-Moreau stopped playing the piano. Teens do that all the time, right? Except Lucy Beck-Moreau, 16, isn’t your typical teen. She was a concert pianist, who was in Prague for a major event when she [...]

On July 31, 2013 (Harry Potter and author J. K . Rowling's birthday), Scholastic unveiled a new look for ​Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Author/illustrator Kazu Kibuishi created new covers for each of the titles in the beloved series. The book covers were revamped in time for the 15th anniversary of the U.S. publication of Rowling's series opener.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013, 2:00-3:00 PM ET Kevin Henkes is the creator of nearly 50 books for children. He has written both picture books and novels; his picture books include Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse; Chrysanthemum; and Kitten’s First Full Moon, a winner of the Caldecott Medal. Among his novels are the Newbery Honor Book Olive’s Ocean and the upcoming middle grade novel The Year of Billy Miller. Join us to hear Kevin talk about his work, his inspirations, and The Year of Billy Miller--an acclaimed and irresistible story about friendship, siblings, and the perils of elementary school. And take this chance to ask him your questions live! Archive is now available!

Locomotive By Brian Floca Atheneum (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) $17.99 ISBN: 978-1-4169-9415-2 Ages 4 and up On shelves September 3rd Many childhood obsessions come down to sheer scale. Whether it’s dinosaurs or trucks (the modern, smog belching dinosaur equivalent) or even princesses (adults are large, no matter how you approach them), size matters. [...]

Acclaimed young adult fantasy author Tamora Pierce headlined SLJ’s SummerTeen online event on July 24, and shared her love for libraries and books during the conference’s opening keynote. The 2013 Margaret A. Edwards Award-winner regaled the virtual audience of librarians and teens via webcam with a presentation about her writing process, her inspirations, and other fantasy novels and writers that readers should be adding to their to-be-read piles. The following is a list of the titles that were cited in Pierce’s talk.

Enter a contest to determine who will voice Four in the Allegiant audiobook, the final book in Veronica Roth’s young adult dystopian trilogy. RIF and Macy’s have donated 10 million books to kids in need. Visit the Library of Congress’s 2013 National Book Festival in Washington, DC, in September.